Following the federal government’s disappointing announcement that the United States will be withdrawing from the Paris Climate Agreement, the City of Boulder, along with many other cities, states and businesses across the nation, reaffirmed its dedication to meet or surpass the agreement’s commitments.

“Local action on climate is more important than ever, and we will continue to work with cities throughout Colorado and the nation to lead on climate. Boulder’s Climate Commitment goals set greenhouse gas reduction targets that exceed those outlined in the Paris Climate Agreement. We will continue on our path to significantly reduce our city and community emissions,” said Mayor Suzanne Jones.

In the past 24 hours, Mayor Jones formally joined mayors from 82 cities and counting, representing 40 million Americans, in reaffirming their intent to adopt, honor and uphold the Paris Agreement goals in a statement through the Climate Mayors. The city is also a founding member of the Colorado Communities for Climate Action - a coalition of 14 Colorado cities and counties representing one-eighth of all Coloradans – which advocates for state and federal policies to protect Colorado’s climate for current and future generation. The city is also a member of the Colorado Climate Network as well as numerous regional, national and international climate-related organizations.

Boulder formally established its commitment to address climate change at the local level with the 2006 adoption of the community’s Climate Action Plan and voter-approved carbon tax. In 2016, the city adopted its Climate Commitment goals, which exceed the U.S. commitment in the Paris Climate Agreement, including a goal of 100 percent renewable electricity by 2030. The Boulder community was represented at the 2015 Paris climate negotiations by former Boulder mayor and current council member Matt Appelbaum. Boulder also continues to be one of five cities actively engaged in the legal actions related to the Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean Power Plan.

Boulder’s activities at the local and national scale have cemented Boulder as a leader on climate action and allowed the city to join these important collective efforts.

Boulder residents care about climate. According to a 2016 survey, 94 percent of Boulder residents believe climate change is happening and 90 percent are taking steps to reduce their climate impacts. Community members are encouraged to demonstrate their commitment to climate action on social media by sharing their climate action ideas using the hashtag #ClimateBold.

For more information about the city’s ongoing climate and energy effort, including Boulder’s Climate Commitment, visit www.BoulderClimate.com.

About the Climate Mayors

Climate Mayors (aka, Mayors National Climate Action Agenda, or MNCAA) is a network of 92 U.S. mayors — representing over 44 million Americans in red states and blue states — working together to strengthen local efforts for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and supporting efforts for binding federal and global-level policy making. More information is available at http://www.climate-mayors.org